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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24152602">exploding bottles</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/PilotStudios/pseuds/PilotStudios'>PilotStudios</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>One Piece</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Brotherly Affection, Brothers, Crying, Gen, Hints of Frobin, Lots of Crying</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 19:40:42</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,884</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24152602</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/PilotStudios/pseuds/PilotStudios</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>aka franky and iceburg hugging like they goddamn should. post enies lobby.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Franky &amp; Iceburg (One Piece), Franky &amp; Kokoro &amp; Chimney, Franky &amp; Mozu &amp; Kiwi, Franky &amp; Nico Robin, Franky &amp; Paulie</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>66</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>exploding bottles</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Iceburg was alive.</p>
<p>He was banged up and bandaged to hell and back, but he was <em>alive</em>. He had repaired a lonely ship in the middle of a monsoon. He had sailed to meet them in a Galley-La ship crowded with shipwrights. And now, he was walking around the ship, talking with the shipwrights and laughing at the Straw Hats’ antics. Doing alive-guy things.</p>
<p>(He really thought Iceburg was dead, even after Nico Robin’s assurances. Lucci’s words had broken his heart, and he was finding it hard to piece it back together).</p>
<p>Franky was hovering. </p>
<p>It wasn’t like it was <em>weird</em>, he told himself. So what he just happened to be wherever Iceburg was? It was a- okay, well, it wasn't a <em>small</em> ship, but it was a crowded one. It seemed like Iceburg packed the entire Galley-la workforce onto the ship. So, he didn't have much of a choice in where he ended up, and if he ended up being close to Iceburg, so be it.</p>
<p>And Iceburg was hanging out with the Strawhats, and the Strawhats were constantly trying to rope him into their little group. And when they weren't, his family was, and his little brothers and sisters nearly died for him, so who was he to say no?</p>
<p>And since he kept ending up near Iceburg, entirely by accident, well, it made sense to keep an eye on him. The man had nearly died (<em>shot, burned, drowned</em>), after all, and was still pretty injured and they’re- well, they were family at some point. And he was keeping an eye on Kokoro, and Chimney, and the rest of his family, so why not Iceburg?</p>
<p>Sure, it could be pointed out (by Kokoro, repeatedly), that’d it be easier to keep an eye on him up close instead of at a respectable distance, but, well.</p>
<p>He was just <em>happening</em> to end up near Iceburg, and was just <em>happening</em> to keep an eye on him, and he just hadn't <em>happened</em> to get closer to him. That was all. If it did happen, he’d welcome it! But it just hadn’t yet.</p>
<p>(Franky wasn’t a liar, it wasn't in his nature, but he had gotten good at lying anyway, over the years. Especially when it came to himself. He wasn’t afraid, he told himself. He wasn’t scared of those words, from that terrible day, circling in his head like a storm.</p>
<p>It wasn’t like he was planning on forgiving himself anytime soon, either.)</p>
<p>~</p>
<p>“You’re lurking!”</p>
<p>“I am not! Stop saying that, you hag!”</p>
<p>“I will when you stop, brat!”</p>
<p>Franky glared at Kokoro’s gleefully smug smile, and she just smiled wider, baring her teeth in a teasing grin. What did she know? If anything, <em>she</em> was the lurker, with the way she was always hanging around.</p>
<p>Chimney hopped forward, and folded her arms over the barrel Franky was (completely casually!) leaning against, and looked up at him with those big innocent eyes.</p>
<p>“If you’re not lurking, then what are you doing?” She asked.</p>
<p>“I’m just hanging around. Can’t a guy just hang around in peace?”</p>
<p>“Not a guy like you. You’re too suspicious!” Kokoro cackled. Franky tossed a bit of stray rope at her.</p>
<p>“Then why are you watching Mister Iceburg?” Chimney asked.</p>
<p>Franky’s arm slipped off the barrel, and he nearly face-planted into the deck before he caught himself on the railing. He awkwardly stood back up and nonchalantly leaned back against the rail. Chimney and Kokoro both stared at him, one worried and one smug.</p>
<p>“I’m not <em>watching</em> him,” Franky said, crossing his arms. “I’m just keeping an eye on him, all right? Why’re you guys getting so twisted up about this?”</p>
<p>“From all the way over here?” Chimney tilted her head. “Why don’t you go and hang out with him?”</p>
<p>“Cuz he’s a stubborn brat, that’s why,” Kokoro said, pointing her bottle at Franky. “They both are -  too stubborn for their own good. I don’t know where they get it from.”</p>
<p>Franky scoffed at her and was immediately hit between the eyes with the rope as Kokoro chucked it back at him. He glowered and slid down to the floor and out of Kokoro’s sight. Chimney and her pet plopped down next to him, both grinning at him like they knew all he wasn’t saying. </p>
<p>“You take too much after your grandma, kid,” he said to her. </p>
<p>“I heard that!” </p>
<p>~</p>
<p>“Bro, are you still watching him?”</p>
<p>“What do you mean, <em>still</em>?” Franky squawked, as Mozu and Kiwi boxed him in on both sides. Between them, and the mast he was sitting against, he was trapped.</p>
<p>“Aw, come on bro!” Mozu started.</p>
<p>“You were watching him when we last came by,” Kiwi continued.</p>
<p>“And the time before that,”</p>
<p>“And the time before that!”</p>
<p>“Alright, alright, stop!” He waved his hands between them. “You guys are making it seem like way more than it is! You’ve come and gone, like, five times in the last hour.”</p>
<p>The sisters exchanged a glance. “So,” Kiwi said, grinning. “You admit you’ve been watching him for an hour?”</p>
<p>“Wh- No!” Franky spluttered, as the sisters laughed. “That’s entrapment! <em>No</em>, I just happen to be looking at him whenever you guys come by. It’s just a coincidence.”</p>
<p>“Some coincidence,” the sisters said together. Franky couldn’t glare at both of them at once, so instead, he crossed his arms and glared out at the sea.</p>
<p>“Believe what you want,” He said. “And I’m not watching him, I’m keeping an eye on him. There’s a difference.”</p>
<p>“Sure, bro,” Kiwi said.</p>
<p>“Whatever you say, bro,” Mozu said.</p>
<p>Franky slumped down, feeling outnumbered. “Don't you guys have someone else to bother?”</p>
<p>“Well...” Mozu started, looking devious.</p>
<p>“I suppose we could go bother Iceburg...” Kiwi continued.</p>
<p>“And maybe accidentally let it slip that you’re ‘keeping an eye on him’...”</p>
<p>Franky groaned and slumped down further, hair falling down over his face as they giggled. “Why do I even bother.”</p>
<p>~</p>
<p>“Alright, what’s your deal?”</p>
<p>“My deal?” Franky squinted up at Paulie, who was dangling from his ropes, irritatingly, in front of the afternoon sun. “You’re the one hanging from the mizzenmast like a moron.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, but that’s what I do.” Paulie lowered himself down until he was more on Franky’s level, though he kept himself just above eye level. “What’re you watching Iceburg for, huh? You gotta problem with him?”</p>
<p>Franky groaned and slapped his forehead into his hand. “I’m not watching him! Why does everyone keep saying that?”</p>
<p>“If several people are saying it, then I got bad news for you, pal.”</p>
<p>“That, or people can’t mind their damn business,” Franky said, glaring up at the other. </p>
<p>“Well, as a Galley-la employee, Iceburg’s business is kinda my business.” Paulie swung closer to poke Franky in the chest. “And I’m not about to let you mess with him.”</p>
<p>“I’m not gonna! We just went against the world government together, what kinda guy do you take me for?”</p>
<p>“A crime boss who’s been watching my boss for the past hour?” Paulie said, like he couldn’t believe he had to spell it out. </p>
<p>“It has not been that long,” Franky muttered under his breath, before saying, out loud, “Look, I’m just keeping an eye on him, alright? I mean, he’s still pretty injured from the-” Franky grimaced. “Well, you know.”</p>
<p>Paulie stopped cold, somehow even managing to halt his swinging rope dead in its tracks. “You’re worried about him? <em>You</em>?”</p>
<p>Franky spluttered, not sure if he should deny the accusation, or be offended at the surprise. He finally settled on crossing his arms and glowering. “Yeah, what of it?” </p>
<p>“I'm just surprised. I thought you guys hated each other, ya know, being rival bosses and all that.”</p>
<p><em>Well</em>, Franky thought, <em>you’re half righ</em>t. “That was only for show. I don't hate him.”</p>
<p>Paulie nodded, still looking confused, and there was a moment of silence. Well, between them, at least. The rest of the ship was just as noisy as ever. Franky’s eyes slid back to Iceburg, almost involuntarily. He was laughing at something one of the other shipwright’s said, his smile pulling at the bandages wrapped around his head. </p>
<p>“How do you know him?”</p>
<p>Franky blinked and looked up at Paulie, who was now leaning forward causally in the slings of his rope. “You don’t know?”</p>
<p>“No?” Paulie raised an eyebrow. “Should I?”</p>
<p>“Ah, I guess with all the commotion, he probably didn’t have time to explain…” Franky scratched his chin. “We used to be apprentices, back in the day. We had to keep it secret because of the blueprint, but-!”</p>
<p>He cut off when Paulie fell out of his ropes, and onto the deck with a loud thud. When he scrambled back up, his eyes were wide with surprise. “<em>You’re</em> that apprentice he’s always complaining about!?”</p>
<p>“What’re you talking about?” </p>
<p>“Iceburg was always going on about this moron he used to work with. He never gave any details, but man, he could complain for hours! About how he would never did his work, or follow safety procedures or building standardization-”</p>
<p>“Hey-”</p>
<p>“And how his blueprints were always a cluttered mess-”</p>
<p>“Alright-!”</p>
<p>“And how his ships were these dangerous heaps of-”</p>
<p>“Stop!” Franky nearly shouted. “Yes, that was me, congrats, you figured it out, Iceburg hates me, we can stop there!” Franky pivoted on his heel, and began to storm away. He had been watching Iceburg too much anyway, he had better things to do then-</p>
<p>“He doesn’t hate you.”</p>
<p>Franky stopped. He turned back around, just so he could give Paulie an unimpressed glare. “Really? Sure sounds like he does.”</p>
<p>Paulie shrugged. “I mean, yeah, he complained a lot, but...I dunno. He always seemed very fond at the same time.” He tilted his head, making a show of pondering something, a smug gleam in his eye. “Actually, he kinda sounded like how you looked, when you were watching him.”</p>
<p>“I wasn't watching him,” Franky gritted out, before walking off, shoving past curious onlookers.</p>
<p>He didn't need some upstart coming in and getting his hopes up.</p>
<p>~</p>
<p>“Ah, so that’s what they meant.”</p>
<p>Franky looked down to see Nico Robin pulling herself up into the crow’s nest that he was totally not hiding in. As she stood, reaching out to steady herself, her hair caught on the afternoon sun, and, for a brief moment, she shone, and Franky found himself dazzled by her. But then she leaned away with an expectant look on her face, and his brain finally processed what she said.</p>
<p>“Wait, what who meant? Meant what?”</p>
<p>Nico Robin smirked, amused. “About you watching him.”</p>
<p>Franky groaned and slumped down into the nest so he could bury his face into the wood. “People are talking about this?! Does everybody know?!”</p>
<p>“Hmm, everybody but Iceburg, yes.”</p>
<p>Franky groaned again, and thumbed his head against the wood. He turned to Nico Robin, and said, too late and too desperately, “I’m not watching him, I’m just keeping an eye on him. There’s a difference.”</p>
<p>“I understand,” Nico Robin said. </p>
<p>Franky sighed, and readjusted himself down in the base of the nest, backing leaning against the boards and legs splayed out, as much as they could, in front of him. Nico Robin crouched down as well, arms crossed over her knees, leaning against his legs for support. </p>
<p>“Is it really that obvious?” He asked, after a moment. </p>
<p>Nico Robin nodded. “I’m afraid so.”</p>
<p>Franky titled his head up, hair pushing against the wood behind him, and he looked up into the sky. “I’m no good at this pretending thing,” he said after a moment. “I don’t want to be good at it. But, after all these years, it’s become a real bad habit of mine.”</p>
<p>“We do what we must to survive,” Nico Robin said. “And that can be hard to let go, when the time comes.” She rested her chin on her knees. “I’ve been struggling with it too. I understand what you’re going through.”</p>
<p>Her words twisted their way into his chest, and he found himself having trouble keeping a steady breath. “I don’t want to pretend anymore,” he admitted. “But I’m scared. He said…” His eyes burned. “He said never.”</p>
<p>Nico Robin nodded, but she didn’t press when he didn’t elaborate. Instead, she said, “Fear can be overwhelming. And it can be especially difficult when it’s a reasonable one. But...” She glanced down, as if looking through the wood to the deck below. “Even if what you fear does come to pass, you have family and friends to support you, and trust me, that makes all the difference.” </p>
<p>“Okay. Thanks,” Franky said, which definitely didn’t feel like enough compared to what those words meant to him, but he didn’t trust himself to say anymore without his voice cracking. </p>
<p>But Robin seemed to understand. She smiled at him, and patted his leg before taking her leave. </p>
<p>~</p>
<p>Arlight, he told himself, enough beating around the bush. It’s time to stop moping around, to face your fears, and go fucking <em>talk to him</em>. </p>
<p>Franky stood by the railing of the main deck. Iceburg was by the port bow, leaning against the hull as he chatted with Tilestone. Franky stared. Iceburg nodded along to something Tilestone said, looking relaxed. His white bandages shone in the afternoon sun, bright against his purple-blue hair. </p>
<p>Franky’s bravery failed him. He wavered, and then, suddenly feeling very un-super, looked away. </p>
<p>And his eyes landed on his family.</p>
<p>They were gathered on the aft lower deck with the Straw Hats, all of them together in one large group, that was only growing larger as passing shipwrights joined in the celebrations. Usopp, still wearing that ridiculous mask, had started performing a dramatic recreation of their recent adventures, helped along by Nico Robin and her additional limbs. Straw Hat and the tanuki were dancing and cheering and quickly roping others into their festivities. </p>
<p>He watched as Mozu, and Kiwi, and Zambai, and all his other brothers and sisters celebrated, with large grins and loud laughs. He watched as Chimney joined the dancing, swinging her blue pet around with glee. And he watched as Kokoro drank with the swordsman, with a lightness that he hadn’t seen for a while. </p>
<p>And as he watched, Nico Robin caught his eye. He saw her understand what he was doing, and she gave him a smile and wink.</p>
<p>
  <em>You have family and friends to support you, and trust me, that makes all the difference.</em>
</p>
<p>He smiled back, and, spirits bolstered, he turned back to the bow. Iceburg was alone now, leaning against the rail and looking out across the sea. Franky squared his shoulders, and marched right up to the other, causally taking the spot next to him like it was the most natural thing in the world.</p>
<p>“Hey, Ice-for-brains.”</p>
<p>Iceburg turned his head toward him, and smiled. “Oh my! Hello, Franky.”</p>
<p>Franky had been expecting a lot of things. Or rather, his fear had been expecting a lot of things for him - a cold look, a tense argument, anger, intense and unforgiving. It had been so long, and they both had been so bitter and traumatized that Franky couldn’t convince himself that this could end well, no matter how much he wanted it to. </p>
<p>The smile was so unexpected, and it came as such a <em>relief</em>, that Franky immediately lost whatever tenuous control he had and burst into tears. </p>
<p>“Ah!” Iceburg, at least, looked as blindsided as Franky felt. “Franky, what-?”</p>
<p>“You-!” Franky blubbered. “I thought you were dead!! I was so worried!!”</p>
<p>“Me?” Iceburg blinked, and then his face wobbled and scrunched up. “What about you!? Getting taken by the government! I thought-” His voice wavered. “I thought I lost you for good this time!!” </p>
<p>“I thought I lost you first! Taking a risk like that, what were you thinking?!”</p>
<p>“Like you’re one to talk, you jerk!” Iceburg was now crying now, too. “You’re the most reckless idiot I know!” </p>
<p>“Shut up!”</p>
<p>Iceburg shook his head, but he was smiling again. “Look at us,” he said, wiping at his eyes. “Arguing again already.” </p>
<p>“You started it!” Franky tried to say, except it came out as unintelligible sobs.</p>
<p>Iceburg laughed. “You idiot,” he said, unbearably fond. “I’ve missed you so much.”</p>
<p>Franky was crying so hard he could barely see, but he did see a blurry Iceburg open his arms. He stumbled into them immediately, like they were kids again, and buried his face in the nearest shoulder, wrapping his arms around his brother and squeezing back as tight as he dared. </p>
<p>His throat was too tight and his breathing too short to say the words in return, but those eight years had been <em>hard</em>. And even though he had Kokoro and his whole gang of brothers and sisters, and even though he and Iceburg always argued and never got along well and there was all this anger and <em>hurt</em> between them, he had just…</p>
<p>He had just really <em>really</em> missed his brother. </p>
<p>And now, here they were, crying and hugging like Franky never thought they would. And that idealistic, all-too-hopeful part of him that he’d been ignoring for far too many years, thought that, maybe now, things could get better again. </p>
<p>And for the first time in a long time, with his brother in his arms, he actually believed it.  </p>
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